Is there a classical text that inspired your writing?
Actually yes! Specifically, during the Creative Writing Class I was truly inspired by the American Sonnets by Terrance Hayes. I truly love the strength of the narrator's perspective on the world. Through talking about relevant topics like race, love, and world dynamics, Hayes was able to leave the reader with the strong beliefs of the narrators. This inspired me to write poems that would talk about relevant things such as vulnerability, individuality, and the Coronavirus, which everyone around the world is impacted by.
Were there other mythological stories you read in the class that give (or might in the future give) inspiration for other stories?
The poem that sparked inspiration in me was Orpheus Alone by Mark Strand, and the other stories we read about the story of Orpheus. I enjoyed reading about the dynamic between him and Eurydice. The author truly developed the pain Orpheus felt after losing the person he loved. The levels of emotions truly pulled me into the story. From sadness, to pain, to love, to loss, I felt encapsulated with the stories and poems. Through this roller coaster of emotions, I used this to brainstorm and write the three poems, The Mask, which highlights the painful truth about Corona, Free Falling, which highlights fear and enlightenment, and The Puzzle Without a Piece, which highlights the vulnerability of not knowing who you are.
The Mask
Grounds grumble,
Rocks crumble,
Soil thickens,
The air sickens,
The masks protect from the coughs of illness.
It is security from the sickness,
Both the vulnerable and invulnerable trying to find peace in such turmoil.
While trying to find a future that’s sound,
Only the masks are future bound.
Free Falling
Up, up, and up,
Bump, bump, and bump.
Into the sky, I love the views, but don’t know why-
Looking down, I can do anything, but fly.
Faster and faster to the top,
All I want to do is stop.
The roller coaster making my brain spin,
Like a fish swimming without a fin.
Crank, crank, and crank,
I see the little ants of the world-
And all of a sudden- WOOSH
I’m falling… and falling… and falling, but breathing.
And finally…
I can see, what I was trying to retrieve.
The golden air everyone wishes for,
But tries not to adore.
Descending from the sky,
I try,
To think why,
I was so blind.
Because the fears we spark,
Are actually the toys that demons play with in the dark.
The Puzzle Without A Piece
What could there be?
Who would want me?
As I got out of bed, these questions wrung in my head.
Standing straight looking up into the starry abyss,
I know I was someone who wouldn’t be missed.
Going down a list in my mind,
Nobody in all of mankind,
Would cry if they had to say goodbye.
Reaching up into the sky,
I try to find why-
A piece of me is missing inside.
The world in black and white,
Scares my heart into a fright.
What if I’m the puzzle without a piece,
The sheep without his fleece.
I wondered this as I drifted into my deadly slumber,
And tried to number,
The pieces I was made of,
An artist who failed at finding his calling,
Because he simply couldn’t perfect a dumb drawing.
Or the guy who proposed to his 5-year girlfriend,
Only to find that she loved his best friend instead.
Or maybe the guy who dropped out of college,
Because he lacked the knowledge… about the creator of the light bulb.
But despite still not knowing,
He kept hope that his mind was still growing.
Because the puzzle can always expand, without the last piece.